James E. Boggan, M.D.

Dr. Boggan received a BA from Columbia University New York in 1972, an MD from University of Chicago Pritzker, Chicago in 1976, and completed his residency at University of California San Francisco in 1982. He joined the faculty at the University of California at Davis in 1985 and is currently professor and vice-chair of the department of neurological surgery. He has a long standing interest in multidisciplinary educational and research programs that facilitate investigations and training across standard university department/school demarcations, particularly those which foster close interactions between the basic, applied, and clinical sciences. In 1987, he was one of the founders of the short-lived University of California Laser and Optical Sciences Program, which developed a multischool and multidisciplinary collaboration and symposium focusing on research using optical methods. This effort has been revived in the Department of Energy supported, Center of Excellence for Laser Applications in Medicine. This program entails a monthly symposium that rotates between the UC Davis main campus in Davis, California, the Medical campus in Sacramento, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. It allows undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students, as well as faculty members to present and discuss their work in a multidisciplinary environment that includes physicists, physicians, engineers, chemists, veterinarians and molecular and other biologists.

Another example of the Dr. Boggan’s efforts in establishing multidisciplinary research and educational facilities is exemplified in the UC Davis/McClellan Nuclear Radiation Center. This is a 2 MW TRIGA reactor that is being used for a variety of applications including neutron radiography, activation analysis, neutron capture therapy research, isotope production and the training of nuclear physicists. He was a leader in obtaining the funding, establishing the appropriate collaborations and educational programs, and determining the asset value of this facility to the University that lead to the DOD transfer.

He has also regularly sponsored underrepresented students to obtain laboratory experience as part of the Biology Undergraduate Scholars Program (BUSP). This program is supported by the NSF, Hughes Medical Institute, NIH and Genetech. He serves or has served as a consultant/reviewer/advisor to the NIH Biotechnology Resource Laser Microbeam Facility at the University of California, Irvine; the Vanderbilt University Keck Foundation Free- Electron Laser Center; Office of Naval Research Medical Free-Electron Program; Department of Energy Biomedical Engineering Projects Program and, on NIH/NCI and NINDS Review Groups Subcommittees.